Watchcase



April 1946-, o. GRUBER 2,398,423

WATCHCASE FiledJuly 20, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l I3 E I5 I FIG. 3.

V 'IIIAVIIAM II/J T ll H 28 I2 IND .JNTOR.

OSCAR GRUBER FIG. 5. v FIG. 6.311

mi /(61y 0 GRUBER April 16, 1946.

WATCHCASE Filed July 20, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR;

OSCAR GRUBER Patented Apr. 16, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATCHCASE I Oscar Gruber, Minneapolis, Minn. Application In]! 20, 1944, Serial No. 545,783

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a watch case construction in which means is provided for supporting mechanism of the watch so as to floatingly sup- Port the watch mechanism in relation to the outer case.

It is a feature to provide an inner case designed to support the watch mechanism within the same and in turn noatingly support the inner case to the outer case with internal resilient means which are normally concealed within the outer case and extend from the inner case to the outer case. The resilient means may be in the form of coil springs, rubber or any resilient material which may be interposed between the inner and outer cases of the watch to floatingly support the watch mechanism to protect it from jar or sharp blows against the outer case.

It is also a feature to provide an inner case in two forms, one of which may be open at the back and closed at the front by the watch dial. In this form, the watch mechanism supported within the inner casing ma be inspected by removing the back of the outer case in the usual manner. The second form of the inner case is formed with a closed back and the case is in the form of a cup which is adapted to be closed by the dial at the front, and thus conceal and virtually hermetical- 1? seal the mechanism within the inner case.

It is also a feature to provide a floatingly supported inner case positioned within the outer case so that the entire mechanism, including the winding stem, is floatingly supported inside of the outer case. It is also an important feature to provide a simple means for supporting the watch mechanism within the outer case so that all jar or shock is absorbed by the resilient means supporting the mechanism in the outer case, and thus, the delicate working parts of the watch mechanism are cushioned and protected in a manner to give longer life and better timekeeping service b the watch mechanism supported in this manner. 1

It is a feature to use a small number of operating parts to iloatingly support the mechanism in the outer case; also, that the supporting means may be small in size and compact in dimensions so that the outer case of the watch may be made small and compact and yet permitting the provlding of resilient means for iioatingly supporting the mechanism.

These features, together with other details and objects, will be more fully and clearly hereinafter set forth.

01: the drawings forming part of my specifica- Figure l is a face view of the watch and case having my construction therein.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view similar to Figure 1 with the front and back portions of the case removed and with the watch mechanism removed from the inner casing.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on the line l-l ure 1.

Figure 5 is a section ure 2.

Figure 6 is a section ure 1.

Figure 7 illustrates the common ring template showing the same held in position by the stem pin and surrounding the inner watch case, and also showing the drill used for drilling the holes ill). the inner case spaced slightly from the temp a e.

of Fig- On the line 55 01' Figon the line 6-6 of Fig- Figure 8 illustrates the outer watch case with the template ring held in position by the stem pin in the case and the drilling unit in position to drill a hole in the inside of the outer case, the drill being guided by the template.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the drilling unit removed from the watch case.

Figure 10 is a front view of the spring or resilient compressor showing the watch case in dotted outline a it would rest on the compressor and the springs before they are compressed.

Figure 11 is an enlarged view of the compressor and showing the watch case with the compressor arms in position to compress the resilient means or springs into the-recesses in the outer watch case and showing the inner watch case held in position by the stem rod ready to receive the spring elements into the recesses formed around the surface of the inner watch case.

Figure 12 shows the inner watch case assembled to the outer watch case with the resilient members or springs interposed between the inner and outer watch cases.

My invention resides primarily in the outer watch case i0 which may be formed with a thin modern design and in which I floatingly mount the inner watch case II, which supports the watch mechanism enclosed within the outer case The inner case Ii is adapted to receive the watch mechanism II.

The outer case III is formed with a front portion I! which supports the crystal l4, whereas the back portion ll closes the outer watch case II in the ordinary manner. The body or frame portion ot the outer case It extends like a ring and is formed with corner portions I! in which sockets I! are formed which are adapted to receive the inner ends of the resilient members II. The resilient members it are in the form of coil springs as illustrated. However, the resilient members may be formed or rubber jar other flexible material (not shown in the drawings) to provide a resilient cushioning means extending between the outer case in and the inner case H.

The inner case ii is formed with a groove it which is adapted to receive an annular shoulder formed on the frame of the watch mechanism 12. Thus, when the mechanism 12 is mounted in the inner case H. the screws 28 are adapted to draw the annular shoulder into the annular groove is to form a tight joint between the mechanism and the frame II. I

In one form of the inner case II, the back is opened, as is illustrated in Figures 2, 3, and 6, so that the mechanism may be readily observed when the back cover I! of the watch case In is removed. In the other form oi the inner case H, the back 2| is closed so that when the watch mechanism 12 is anchored in the cup shaped inner case II, the shoulder of the mechanism will fit in the annular groove it and seal the mechanism in the cup shaped inner case II to seal the mechanism from dust and the outer atmosphere.

I provide a recess 22 extending annularly in the case ID for free movement of the dial face 23 so that as the mechanism is fioatin ly supported within the outer case ill by the springs l8, free movement is accorded to the entire mechanism of the watch to prevent any jar or shock against the outer case being transmitted to the inner case and watch mechanism I2.

I also provide a sleeve 24 through which the winding stem 25 of the watch extends freely to permit the floating movement of the mechanism 12 in the outer case It. I provide the winding cap 28 with a depending shoulder 21 which is spaced from the sleeve 24 and which acts as a guard to prevent dust from entering through the sleeve 24 into the watch case It. It will appear that I have mounted the watch mechanism 12 in a manner to float within the outer case ll being supported by the four springs IS, the ends of which are mounted in the recesses I! in the case Ill and the recess 26 formed in the outer surface of the inner case ll. Further, I have formed the recess 28 in the form of a groove which receives the coil of the spring ll to hold the same in a set position.

The invention resides in the simple means of mounting the mechanism within the inner casin H or II' with a four point suspension held in place by resilient means of any suitable character. With this construction, I eliminate unnecessary parts and I am able to mount the watch mechanism directly in the inner case H, which in turn is fioatingly supported in the outer case I0. I

recognize that it may be desirable to rebuild ordinary watch cases in a manner to iioatingly support the mechanism therein, or that it is possible that by means of my method of forming the inner and outer cases, the assembly of the mechanism may be clearly simplified, and, therefore, I have provided a method by which the assembly, as well as the preparing of the inner and outer cases for the resilient members may be easily accomplished. Thus my disclosure includes the method of preparing the inner and outer cases and the assembly of the same in a simple and eiiicient manner I inner case ll.

as defined by the drawings in Figures 7 to 12 inelusive.

In Figure 7 I have illustrated a ring template III which forms a common template for the outer case III, as well as the inner case I I. In Figure 'l, I have illustrated the inner case H positioned inside the ring template Ill and held in position by a stem rod tool 3| which passes through the hole 32 formed in the inner case I l for the stem 25 to pass through. Thus, in making the inner case. it is only necessary to drill the stem hole 82 and then by placing the inner case ll inside the template 30, with the template rod 3i extending th ough the hole 32, the inner case II is held in place in the template ring.

The template ring is formed with a series of holes 33 which are adapted to guide the drill 34 so as to properly locate the recesses 28 in the outer surface of the inner case H. The inner case I I may then be removed from the template ring 30. When it is desired to form the recesses n in the outer case "I, t e template rin 3 is positioned in the outer case I0 and held in 191%8 by the stem tool 3!, as illustrated in Figure 8, whereupon the method proceeds by inserting the drilling unit A in'the position illustrated in Figure 8.

The drilling unit A includes a pair of side members 35 and 36 which extend parallel and are held together by the bolts 31 with the intermeshin gears 38 held between the members 35 and 38. One of the gears 38 is adapted to be driven by the shaft 38 and the other gear 38 drives a drill 40. The unit A is held in the template ring 30 as illustrated in Figure 8 with the spring urged member 4| projecting in one of the holes 33 of the template 30, and the drill 44 projecting in the diametrically opposed holes 33 of the template 30, whereupon the unit A is operated to drill the recess I! in the case it.

This operation is repeated until the four recesses II have been formed in the outer case.

The method includes the separation oi the inner case II as heretofore set forth, as well as the outer case 10, and then the springs are adapted to be assembled in the outer case ID, as illustrated in Figures 10 and 11. The method continues by placing the springs IS in the recesses I"! with a compressor unit 3 receiving the case ill, as illustrated. The compressor unit B includes a back plate 42 on which the compressor arms 43 are mounted with the free ends of the compressor units being adapted to engage the springs l8, and by means of the cam members 44, the springs iii are compressed into the recesses H, which are deep enough to receive the springs, whereupon the inner case I i is placed in position, as illustrated in Figure 11, with the stem rod 3| holding the inner case ii in proper position. Then by turning the compressor unit B, the springs l8 are released and automatically spring into the recesses 28 in the outer suriace of the inner case, and the assembly of the inner and outer case is complete, whereupon the compressor unit 13 may be removed and the mechanism l2 of the watch may be mounted in the Thus the assembly, as well as the formation of my watch case, becomes a simple operation carried out by my method and in a simple form of construction which permits a small streamlined watch case to be used for float= ingly supporting the watch mechanism therein. The method isimportant because it permits any properly formed watch case to be readily converted to fioatingly support the watch mechanism within the outer casing, and the steps of the method proceed from the making and preparing the inner watch case, which is adapted to receive the watch mechanism, and preparing the outer case so that the resilient members may 'be interposed between the inner and outer watch case members. The template ring, which is common to both the inner and outer watch case members, insures the proper positioning of the recesses for the resilient member and the drilling unit, together with the compressing unit, merely show a form oi! means which may be used to carry out the method and to properly form the watch cases employed in supporting and enclosing the watch mechanism.

I claim:

1. A watch case for enclosing the timekeeping mechanism of a watch, including an outer rectangular-like casing having reinforced comer portions, a recess formed within each oi said comer portions, an inner casing spaced from said outer casing and having a series of recesses adapted to coincide with said corner recesses, resilient members positioned in the coincident recesses in said corners and said inner casing to floatingly support said inner casing in relation to said outer casing, said inner casing being adapted to support the timekeeping mechanism of the watch.

2. A watch case for enclosing the timekeeping mechanism of a watch, including an outer rectangular-like casing having reinforced comer portions, a recess formed within each of said corner portions, an inner casing spaced from said outer casing and having a series of recesses adapted to coincide with said corner recesses, resilient members positioned in the coincident recesses in said corners and said inner casing to floatingly support said inner casing in relation to said outer casing, said inner casing being adapted to support the timekeeping mechanism of the watch, a winding stem projecting into said inner casing, sleeve means anchored in said outer casing and adapted to be spaced from and surrounding said stem, and a winding cap on said stem having a depending flange adapted to extend over the outer end of said sleeve means.

OSCAR GRUBER'. 

